Adjustable gunstocks are known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,007 to Gal (1988); U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,626 to McQueen (1982); U.S. Pat. No. 3,442,042 to Gilbert (1967); U.S. Pat. No. 3,348,328 to Roy (1966); U.S. Pat. No. 3,267,601 to Roy (1964); 3,137,958 to Lewis, et al. (1962); U.S. Pat. No. 5,827,992 to Harris, et al. (1998) and U.S. Pat. No. 2,900,877 to McClenahan (1956) are all illustrative of the prior art.
The current standard in automatic and semi-automatic rifles is to have a stock capable of receiving and covering a recoil absorption appendage, or “buffer tube”, shown in the '992 and '877 patents. The most popular of the available adjustable stocks follow in form to the '328 patent, which is to say they use a spring loaded latch to bias a pin inside a provided adjustment hole. When a user wishes to adjust the stock, a simple compression of the spring/latch assembly is all that is required to release the pin and, therefore, adjust the stock. The '626 patent operates with a tooth-and-groove assembly which, otherwise, follows the same principles. In both cases, compression of the spring is necessary for adjustment in both directions along any length beyond the proximate hole/groove. All of the adjustable stocks may have their butt portion removed, though they are not designed to have such a feature repeatedly used, much less have additional stock modules to exchange. In those cases where the stock moves longitudinally along the weapon, with no other motion relative to the weapon, the user must make some sacrifice as to one, if not both, of two features. The user either loses constant and uniform cheek weld to the weapon or stock stability. The lack of uniform cheek weld can interfere with comfortable and precise use of the weapon. Stock stability can also interfere with precise weapon use.
While the aforementioned inventions accomplish their individual objectives, they do not describe a truly modular stock, namely a stock where the butt portion is designed to be changed at the whim or need of the user. Likewise, they do not describe a stock that utilizes a cam/tension lock that enables the user to have not only a controlled extension, but also an unrestricted and silent compression and extension of the stock. None of the disclosed stocks have an adjustable preset lock to use in conjunction with an unrestricted adjustment. Finally, none of the disclosed stocks present a surface for a constant cheek weld while simultaneously having a sturdy, longitudinal adjustment capable stock, much less a uniform cheek weld with different stock types. In this respect, the gunstock according to the present invention departs substantially from the usual designs in the prior art. In doing so, this invention provides a modular gunstock allowing for a uniform and identical cheek weld for different stock modules, even while simultaneously adjusting the stock length of an adjustable stock.